Cigar-cutter.



R. A. KIEFER.

GIGAR CUTTER.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. e, 1912.

1,086,920, Patented .Feb 10, 1914 ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

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RAYMOND ARNDT KIEFER, 0F RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY.

CIG-AR-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Application filed September 6, 1912. Ser'al No. 718,862.

T0 @ZZ 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND A. Knirnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ramsey, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cigar cutters designed to cut the end or tip from a cigar preparatory to lighting it, and the object thereof is to provide a cigar cutter in which the knife or knives or other form of cutting mechanism is inclosed within a closed chamber containing a suitable gaseous or vaporous sterilizing medium, so that the cutting mechanism will be exposed to the action of the sterilizing medium and thus kept in a sterilized condition.

A further object of my invention is to provide certain features of construction in and relating to cigar critters of the type above referred to whereby a simple, cheap, and effective cigar cutter is procured.

It is a habit not uncommon among smokers to moisten the end of a cigar with the lips before cutting the tip therefrom, as by so doing the wrapper and end of the cigar is less likely to become broken in cutting the tip from the cigar. From this it results that the cutting elements of the present type of cigar cutters upon coming into contact with the moistened end of a cigar, become contaminated, and in turn contaminate other cigars subsequently cut by the cutter. In my improved cigar cutter, however, the cutting member or members are exposed to the action of a sterilizing medium at all times and are thus kept in a sterilized condition; from which it follows that the cutters cannot become contaminated, and that the possibility of disease germs being transmitted from one person to another through the cutter is done away with.

Vith the above and other objects of invention in view, my invention consists in the cigar cutter illustrated in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described and claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawing wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated: Figure l is a view showing my cigar cutter in side elevation, certain parts being broken away to illustrate internal construction; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a part of the mechanism of the cutter upon a Vertical central longitudinally extending plane; Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different position; Fig. 4L is a view showing a section of the cutter upon a vertical transverse plane indicated by the line 4 4, Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a View showing a section upon a horizontal plane indicated by the line 5 5, Fig. 2, looking in an upward direction.

Referring to the drawing the reference character 6 designates a closed or gas-tight chamber or casing shown as rectangular in form, but which may be of other forms, within which a gaseous or vaporous sterilizing medium is contained. This sterilizing medium may be introduced into the chamber in various ways and by means of various expediente as, for example, by providing one or more removable trays such as 7 fitting i into openings provided in the bottom wall of the chamber, which trays may be removed and a substance placed in them from which a sterilzing medium will be generated, which medium will pass into the chamber when the tray is replacedin its position in the wall of the chamber, as will be understood. The particular method of supplying the chamber with a sterilizing medium is, however, unimportant, and various methods may be employed.

The chamber 6 is preferably arranged so as to be movable vertically, and is moved downward by the hand of the user in cutting the tip from a cigar, to which end two housings 9 are provided one at each end of the chamber within each of which a spring l0 is contained. These housings have each a vertically extending slot in the side adjacent the chamber 6, and l1 is a tubular guide (only one guide being shown, although similar guides are provided for both housings) secured to and movable with the chamber and having a portion extending through the slot in question, the upper end of said guide being closed and the upper end of the spring l0 acting against said closed end, whereby the chamber is held in its normal or uppermost position when the cutter is not in use.

The cutting mechanism whereby the'tip is cut from the end'of a cigar is located within the chamber 6 so as to be always exposed to the action of the sterilizing medium therein whereby the knives or other form of cutter employed arev kept in a sterilized condition at all times. The cutting mechanism shown comprises two knives 12 movable simultaneously toward and from one another and the cutting edges of which preferably pass one another to a greater or less extent, as shown in Fig. 3, said knives being secured to and carried by suitable cross-heads 14 slidable upon transversely extending guide rods 15 arranged adjacent the top wall of the chamber 6, the ends of these guide rods being supported in suitable blocks 16 secured to end walls of the chamber.

Motion is communicated to the cross-heads 14 and thus to the knives through lever mechanism comprising, for each cross-head, a link 17 the lower end of which is pivotally supported from a xed support 18 extending through the bottom wall of the chamber; a lever 19' the upper end of'which is pivotally supportedfrom the block 16 and the lower end of which is pivotally connected with the upper end of the link 17 g and a link 20 one end of which is pivotally connected with a cross-head 14 and the other end of which is pivotally connected with the lever 19 intermediate its ends.

From the features of construction enumerated it will be obvious that as the chamber is forced downward against the tension of the springs 10 the lower end of the links 17 are held in a fixed position and the levers 19 are swung about their fulcrums which are at their upper ends, thus communicating motion to the cross-heads lll.

Fig. 2, and F ig. 1 in full lines, show the position of the knives and operating mechanism therefor when the chamber is in its uppermost position, and Fig. 3 and the dotted lines in Fig. 1 show the position of said parts when the chamber is depressed and made to occupy its lowermost position. The fixed supports 18, and the housings 9 are supported from a suitable base-plate 21 which forms a support for the cutter as'a whole. The chamber 6 is provided with an opening 22 in its top wall into or through which the end of a cigar may be thrust to bring kit into proximity with the cutting mechanism, and into position to be engaged by the knives thereof; which cutting mecha nism, as above explained, is within the chamber and located adjacent the opening; so that when the knives are operated they move across the opening and into contact with the end of the cigar and cut the tip therefrom, as will be understood. This opening must obviously be provided with means for keeping it normally closed as otherwise the sterilizingmedium would escape from the chamber through said opening and into the atmosphere, thus rendering the cutter lar 25 which surrounds and acts also as a guide for the member 23 and which collar is supported in any way as from the guide rods 15 by means of stirrups 2G, while the other end of said spring abuts against a stop member 27 carried by the said closing member. The closing member 23 is preferably tubular in form and is in communication with the exterior of the chamber, the purpose of this construction being to permit the tipscut from cigars to fall through the tubular member and into a cavity 28 provided in the base of the cutter, thus keeping the interior of the chamber free from clippings from the cigars. The communication with the exterior' of the chamber is shown as provided by means of an upwardly extending sleeve 29 `within which the lower end of the tubular closing member 23 slides and lits closely, the sleeve thus forming a guide for the lower end of said member.

In operating my cutter to cut the tip from a cigar, the end of the cigar is placed against the upper end of the closing member 23 and pressed downward, the upper end of said member being provided with openings to receive and steady the end of the cigar as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. After the closing member 23 has been depressed to its full extent and the end of the cigar has entered into the opening 22, downward movement is communicated to the chamber 6, which movement is accompanied by a movement of the knives 12 across the opening 22 as above explained, thus cutting the `tip from the cigar, the severed portion falling through the member 23 and sleeve 29 into the cavity 28, in the base of the cutter.

In the form of my invention illustrated, referring particularly to Fig. 5, 1 have shown the upper end of the tubular member 28 as provided with openings 82 and with other openings 33 arranged on an axis at right angles to the axis of the openings 82, and another opening 34 located between and communicating with each of the openings 33. This arrangement of openings is, however, to be considered as merely suggestive of a possible arrangement of openings, as it is merely necessary that the upper end of the tubular member 23 be provided with some kind of an opening into which the vtip `of the cigar may be thrust and through which opening the severed tip may pass into the interior of the tubular member 23. In the arrangement of openings shown in Fic'. 5 the tip will be severed from the cigar if it is placed in any of the openings, although the cutting action will be better if the tip is placed in one of the openings SS-Bh In any case the tip of the cigar is severed above the upper end of the tubular member. This act of severing the tip will commonly crush the tobacco to such an extent that the clippings will tall through the tubular member'. If, however, the tip sticks in the opening, the tip of the cigar next inserted into the same opening will dislodge the severed tip and permit it to fall through the interior of the tubular member.

rThe operation above outlined contemplates that downward movement is communicated to the chamber 6 from the cigar through or by means of the closing member 23. It will be obvious, however, that the user may accidentally press upon the upper end of the chamber before the closing member is depressed or without depressing said member, and, in order to prevent the cutting mechanism from being operated in such cases, means are provided for preventing the operation of the cutting mechanism until the closing member 23 has been depressed to an extent such that the knives may pass over the upper end of said member without contacting therewith. The means illustrated comprise projections 30 extending from the abutment or stop member 27 'for the upper end of the spring Q-i above referred to, which projections lie adjacent the inner edges of the eros. -r heads 1i when the closing member 23 lis in its uppermost position, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5; from which it follows that if it be attempted to force the chamber downward without first depressing the closing member, the projections 30 will form stops which will prevent the cross-heads :trom moving toward one another. TWhen, however, the closing member is first depressed the stops are moved into a position below the cross-heads, as shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the casing may be depressed and the cutting mechanism operated to move the knives across the opening 22. The chamber 6 is shown as provided with transparent sides 3l through which the interior mechanism of the cutter may be seen.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a device of the class described, a closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; cutting mechanism comprising a reciprocating knife adapted to move across said opening, and means for supporting said knife and for guiding it in its move- `ments; a vertically movable member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end ot' a cigar; a spring for holding said member in a position to normally close said opening; and means for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar.

2. In a device of the class described, a closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; cutting mechanism within said chamber and located adjacent said opening; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber the upper end of which eX- tends into said opening and is adapted to be engaged and depressed by the end of a cigar to thereby open said opening, and the lower l end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; yielding means :tor holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

3. In a device of the class described, a closed chamber having an opening in its to-p wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; cutting mechanism within said chamber and located adjacent said opening; a vertically movable-tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar, and which upper end is provided with an opening, the lower end of said tubular member being in open connnunication with the exterior of said casing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar.

t. In a device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its uppermost position; cutting mechanism located within said chamber; a vertically movable member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar; a spring for holding said member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar. i

5. In a device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; yieldable means for holding said chamber in a normal upper position; cutting mechanism within said chamber and located adjacent said opening; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which eX- tends into said opening and is adapted to be engaged and depressed by the end of a cigar to thereby open said opening, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; yielding means for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operatingsaid cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

G. in a device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its up` permost position; reciprocating cutting Y mechanism within said chamber and adapted to move across'said opening; al vertically movable tubular member within said chains bei', the upper end. of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said cas ing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, the upper end of said tubular niem ber having an opening through which communication is established with the inteiior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

7. In a device of the class described, a ver tically movable closed chamber having an opening' in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its up permost position; cutting mechanism located within said chamber; a vertically movable member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar; a spring for holding said inember in a position to normally close said opening; means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut 'the tip from the cigar; and means carried by said vertically movable closing member for preventing movement of said cutting mechanism when said closing member is in its uppermost position.

8. In a device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; yieldable` means for holding said chamber in a normal upper position; cutting mechanism within said chamber and located adjacent said opening; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which extends into said opening and the lower end of which is in open communica-i tion with the exterior of said casing; yield-1 ing means for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening;

means whereby said tubular member mayV be depressed to open said opening; means dependent upon downward movement of` said casing for operating said cutting mechaiiisni to cut the tip from the cigar; and means carried by said vertically movable tubular member for preventing movement of said cutting mechanism when said tubular member is in its uppermost position, the

upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication D. movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a. closure for said opening and is adapted to be eiigaged by the end of a cigar, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar; and means carried by said vertically movable tubular member for preventing movement of said cutting mechanism when said tubular member is in its uppermost position, the upper end of said tubular mem-y ber having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

10. In a device of the class described, a

vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall int-o which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its uppermost position; cutting mechanism comprising two reciprocating knives adaptf ed to move across said opening simultaneously toward and from. one another, and

a vertically i means for supporting said knives and for guiding them in their movements; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

11. In a device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its uppermost position; cutting mechanism comprising two reciprocating knives adapted to move across said opening simultaneously toward and from one another, and means for supporting said knives and for guiding them in their movements; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, said means including a stationary support, and lever mechanism the lower end of which is secured to said support and the upper end of which is operatively connected with said cutting mechanism, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

12. Ina device of the class described, a vertically movable closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; means including a spring for holding said chamber in its uppermost position; cutting mechanism comprising two reciprocating knives adapted to move across said opening simultaneously toward and from one another, and means for supporting said knives and for guiding them in their movements; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar, and the lower end of which tubular member is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; a spring for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; and means dependent upon downward movement of said casing for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar, said means including two stationary supports, and two lever mechanisms, the lower ends of which are secured one to each of said supports and the upper ends of which are operatively connected one with each of said knives, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

13. In a device of the class described, a closed chamber having an opening in its top wall into which the end of a cigar may be thrust; cutting mechanism within said chamber and located adjacent said opening; a vertically movable tubular member within said chamber, the upper end of which forms a closure for said opening and is adapted to be engaged by the end of a cigar and the lower end of which tubular mem er is in open communication with the exterior of said casing; yielding means for holding said tubular member in a position to normally close said opening; means for operating said cutting mechanism to cut the tip from the cigar; a second opening formed in the wall of said chamber and through which access may be had to the interior thereof; and means for closing said second opening, the upper end of said tubular member having an opening through which communication is established with the interior thereof, and which opening is adapted to receive the tip of a cigar.

Signed at Stony Point, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, this 31 day of August, A. D. 1912.

RAYMGND ARNDT KIEFER.

Vitnesses:

CARL BLUMME, Eva K. Knnsnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

